NAIROBI, Jan 10: Six of the Somali pirates who released a hijacked oil-laden Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a reported $3 million ransom after their small boat capsized, their leader said on Saturday

“Six of our boys perished at the sea while coming from the released Saudi supertanker,” Mohamed Said said by telephone from Harardhere, 300km north of Mogadishu.

Their boat had capsized after freeing the Saudi vessel and its crew, he said.

Four other pirates had also gone missing after the kidnapping ended, he added.

“The small boat that was carrying those killed and eight who survived was overloaded and at high speed as we are told by the survivors; they were afraid of a chase from outsiders (foreign navies of the Combined Maritime Forces) who invaded Somali waters,” he said.

Part of the ransom paid to free the tanker — 300,000 dollars — had also been on the boat and was now missing.

A Harardhere resident, Mohamud Aden, told AFP the capsize was an accident.

“The pirates were full of joy and partially frightened by the presence of foreign war machines and overspeeding,” he said. “That was a tragedy for the pirates.”

The 330-metre Sirius Star, owned by the shipping arm of oil giant Saudi Aramco, was seized far off the east African coast on Nov 15, in what was the pirates’ most daring attack and largest catch to date.

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Naimi said on Saturday that the crew of the Sirius Star was safe and that the tanker had left Somali territorial waters and was on its way home.

A Saudi oil ministry official said the ship was headed for Dammam on Saudi Arabia’s Gulf coast, but gave no estimated time of arrival.

US Navy photos released on Friday showed a parachute, carrying what was described as “an apparent payment,” floating toward the tanker.—Agencies